Is the kneebar applicable in MMA?

I'm curious as to what everyone thinks. Is the kneebar a viable submission in a MMA match, or does it leave the back of your head too exposed to strikes? To be clear, I'm not talking about the headlock-grip kneebar, but the more traditional move wherein you're hugging the foot to your chest with both arms.

I know Shamrock and a few others pulled it off, but nowadays people are more familar with leglocks, and are less likely to be caught off guard by them.

So what do you think? Will the back of your head get caved in (assuming hand strikes to the back of the head are allowed) or can you finish the sub beforehand?

Hand strikes to the back of the head are pretty much just not allowed in any major (or legit minor) org, so that issue is moot. But even if back-of-the-head punches were allowed, the bigger problem with the kneebar, IMO, is that it's a power move and almost always leaves you in **** position if you fail. The problems in MMA are very similar to those in grappling when going for it. So my rule is, only go for it when either you know your opponent is weaker, know they suck at grappling, or are turtling for whatever reason and have an opportunity to go for it.

I'm curious as to what everyone thinks. Is the kneebar a viable submission in a MMA match, or does it leave the back of your head too exposed to strikes? To be clear, I'm not talking about the headlock-grip kneebar, but the more traditional move wherein you're hugging the foot to your chest with both arms.

I know Shamrock and a few others pulled it off, but nowadays people are more familar with leglocks, and are less likely to be caught off guard by them.

So what do you think? Will the back of your head get caved in (assuming hand strikes to the back of the head are allowed) or can you finish the sub beforehand?

(From half guard)

Sit up. Spin your outside leg over his head and plant it, sole of the foot down, next to his hip. PUSH hard off the ground and fall to your back. You should now be back to the ground with him belly down, with little danger of strikes to the back of the head. Finish the kneebar.

the bigger problem with the kneebar, IMO, is that it's a power move and almost always leaves you in **** position if you fail.

What? A kneebar is you arching your back vs them trying to curl their leg back. If you can hamstring curl anywhere near what even an average person can deadlift, I'd like to know where the hell you buy pants. A kneebar is only a "power move" if you suck and are holding their leg at arms length trying to curl it to your chest, instead of doing a situp to press their leg against you and then arching back to extend it.

I'm saying it takes more power than an armbar, and offers less of a chance to recover a decent position if you fail. If you feel confident going for it from the top of half-guard, fantastic, do so, I do when I'm against someone I think it'll land on, but I'm not giving up top half-guard to go for it, I simply have no desire to see who's slicker.

It's too easy for them to defend against, not by using invincible leg power, but by being able to hold you off long enough to triangle their legs and turn offline. Kneebars have to be really slick to work, and I don't count on being slick enough, maybe I'm more cautious than you. If I have top position, that has value to me, I want to keep it, and if I'm going for a submission, in MMA, then it has to be something that can fail and still leave me in a good position, like a keylock, or an RNC, or a triangle, or even an omoplata or armbar, all long before I consider a kneebar. If I have to win by grinding, then that's how I win. I don't take risks going for kneebars that might not land, unless it's not a risk at all and I'm not potentially sacrificing position, because I'm turtling.

IMO, kneebars are fun to go for in grappling, but in MMA, the risk of getting hit from the top after it fails makes it just not worth it to me. How often do you see kneebars in the UFC? How often at ADCC for that matter?

most recent attempt i saw was Guida on Griffin at UFC72; Guida couldnt quite get it and Griffin landed some meaty shots to his ribs but nothing too heavy, before Guida fucked it off and went for something else.

I'd have to agree with Cracky, to a point. Kneebars are fun to do in practice but the risk vs reward factor in a MMA match doesn't compute. Frankly because when you can't finish it you are is a **** position. It's one of those submissions that stays in my little bag of tricks until it presents it self. I don't deliberately set them up.

And an armbar takes more power than a heelhook; that doesn't make it a "power move".

It's too easy for them to defend against, not by using invincible leg power, but by being able to hold you off long enough to triangle their legs and turn offline.

If they triangle their legs you should be immediately switching to the toehold on their other leg, which is much harder to defend against and leaves an immediate opening for you to finish the kneebar if they try.

Kneebars have to be really slick to work, and I don't count on being slick enough, maybe I'm more cautious than you. If I have top position, that has value to me, I want to keep it, and if I'm going for a submission, in MMA, then it has to be something that can fail and still leave me in a good position,

If you do the kneebar like I noted in my first response, usually you'll be able to recover to a top position if it fails, as long as you're aware enough to realize when you're not going to get it and bail out at the correct time.

If they triangle their legs you should be immediately switching to the toehold on their other leg, which is much harder to defend against and leaves an immediate opening for you to finish the kneebar if they try.